Call From Subconscious were a band from the beautiful Franconian city of Nuremberg, Germany that existed in the period 1990-1997. Post mortem, the recordings of the band that never made it out of demo status are now officially released on a discography CD (and tape) called "Sorrow and avidity" by the Greek label Repulsive Echo Records, more than two decades after the demise of this formation. However, this is completely justified, because even if no technical masterpieces or sound fiddles are to be expected here, the album is more convincing with what really matters, the music and its charisma. So if you like old, melancholic and sometimes extravagant, but never cheesy death and doom metal, you will definitely find what you are looking for here. In addition, the CD convinces with a really beautiful artwork. Listen to the band and buy the CD if you want to acquire a small piece of German metal underground culture. Looking at the photos, you can almost feel the breath of time and nostalgic memories of the golden era of death and doom metal spread. But now read for yourself. I talked to ex-guitarist Stephan, who makes a strong plea for uploading old demo recordings on YouTube before they are forgotten and decay. And: Where is Herbert ?
Hi. Thanks also to you for your interest. Systematic desensitization works only and exclusively through the call from the subconscious, that's correct. But now to the interview questions, hopefully with full consciousness.
Yes, it is amazing when suddenly, after such a long time, a label takes notice of you and wants to release something. At first you think it's a misunderstanding and ask again if you're really meant.
About ten years ago, I (Stephan) started uploading one or two things to YouTube that I was still able to save from analogue to digital. By the way, all former bands should do that and not be ashamed of their early products. Otherwise it will be irretrievably lost at some point. But the internet never forgets. That can also be a good thing. I don't even want to imagine what is rotting on tapes in cellars. A pity.
It's a late satisfaction and quite an honour for us to have been chosen. Repulsive Echo simply stumbled across my uploads on YouTube and found the band interesting. You see, it can be worthwhile to dump the old stuff on the "Tube". In short, it feels excellent. And surreal. Especially since the band hasn't existed for a long time.
The beginning of the band was almost as long as the actual active time. We formed in 1990, that is, three guys wanted to start a band and therefore met regularly to work it out. That was me, Sascha and Marcus. And while we were still looking for more members, we found a place to set up our rehearsal room.
When the room under the roof of an old factory building was finished, which again took quite a long time, for reasons I'd better not bore you with here, the news came that the building would soon be demolished and we had to vacate immediately. Which we did. Quite a damper.
Our second rehearsal room was built under a supermarket. A funny anecdote here is that we could be heard upstairs in the freezers. On the other hand, over time a rotten smell from the meat counter came down through the ceiling to us, thanks to the steam jet that they probably used to clean up after work. A give and take. And it made for a fitting atmosphere. No, it was really disgusting.
The music that influenced us on this whole odyssey was death or doom metal at that time. We wanted to emulate this sound at some point, should we ever finish and not die of old age beforehand. Among them were bands like Paradise Lost, Cathedral, Tiamat, My Dying Bride and so on.
In spring 1993 the room was ready and we could actually start. Unfortunately, our bass player Sascha suddenly didn't want to play any more and surprisingly left the band.
From then on, Marcus and I met as a twosome and we worked on the first song ideas. At the same time we continued to look for a drummer, bass player and a singer. At some point Herbert joined us on drums. Then Corrado on bass and finally Simon as singer.
After a handful of complete songs, the first small live gigs took place. The baptism of fire took place in the old Kunstverein in Nuremberg. After the second gig Corrado left the band because of disagreements and Andy took over the bass.
At that time we were already looking for something to counteract and complement our crude sound. Herbert knew a girl who played the flute and was looking for a band. Perfect. So Sabine stepped into the action and we were complete.
I left in 1996 and was replaced by Thomas on guitar. I had somehow run out of steam. Certain subliminal tensions got on my nerves and I followed the "call from my subconscious". We continued with Thomas until 1997, when the band broke up completely.
Marcus was the main author of the lyrics. They deal with themes like death, despair, necrophilia, vampirism, dark dreams and so on. It should go with the music. Rainbows and unicorns would have been rather confusing. Although I think I would find it amusing today. A song about Nosferatu had to be there, because in the early years, before the band even started, we liked to go to silent films in the cinema together, also for inspiration. And Murnau's Nosferatu made a particular impression.
Marcus was actually continuously active in bands. Brlabl and Nirutok are his current band projects. Simon also had band projects over the years and currently runs a small studio for local bands. We have no trace of Herbert Keil. If anyone knows him, please contact him! He probably doesn't even know about our late luck! Andy and Thomas are probably not in a band at the moment, but they were, and Sabine too. Sabine and I had a small doomy music project until a while ago, but it was more experimental. Marcus was also part of it. But that fell asleep.
In principle, we all still listen to metal, but also to other things. Life is too long to only listen to metal. I mainly listen to the old stuff from the past. I like oldschool and rehearsal room sounds better than stuff that's been produced to death. But everyone may see that differently.
Parts of the band are still in contact with parts of the band. I, for example, still have contact with Sabine and Marcus. Marcus is in contact with us and Simon. He probably has contact with Andy. But Herbert has disappeared. If you should read this Herbert, there is a Call From Subconscious page on Facebook!
Actually, we didn't have anything like a record deal on our radar. We probably didn't think we were mature enough or good enough for it. Today I see it a bit differently, because just such a crude musical approach, which we inevitably pursued, can somehow make you different and interesting as a band. Because we weren't professional musicians, of course. It was rather our technical inability that condemned us to creativity. At that time, however, we weren't self-confident enough to see it so favourably. We probably thought that we had not yet reached where we wanted to go with our art.
When our track "Nosferatu" ended up on the sampler, I was already no longer in the band. And I think the ship was already sinking at that time. But I don't know if the others still had hope.
How exactly did the flute come to be used in the music ? What kind of flute was it exactly ? The instrument fits wonderfully into the music and also works never put on airs. Violins were not that unusual back then, but with the flute you had quite a unique selling point, didn't you ?
How it came about is simple. Sabine wanted to be in a band and we wanted a Sabine. If she had played the alphorn, I probably wouldn't be sitting here in front of this interview, but who knows? I don't know anything about flutes, but it was a transverse flute. This is where my expertise on flutes ends.
The band quickly realised that the flute was very good for the music. We had also had a guy with a cello sitting in the rehearsal room for a day before. But a bright sound stands out better from lowered guitar strumming. A cello tends to get lost there.
Besides the use of the flute, I find it particularly interesting how well you understood how to combine quieter parts with heavier ones in a very flowing and organic way. How did the reactions to your music turn out back then, also in fanzines etc. ?
I don't know anything about an echo in any fanzines. The reactions of concert-goers were mixed. Some found us quite good, others not. We were special in comparison to the other bands that performed with us and were still quite inexperienced on stage. We should have performed much more often to improve the latter, but we weren't ruthless enough with ourselves. Supposedly we had fans. Sabine always claims that. I'll take her word for it ...
What did it look like on the live front back then? You played a few concerts in Nuremberg and the surrounding area. Were there also concerts or possibilities / offers for more distant concerts ?
As far as I know not. In the few years that I was there, the gigs were spread out over the year. I don't remember how they came about. I think Marcus and Simon landed them. As I remember it, nobody really asked about us.
Which bands did you have contacts with back then ? Nationally or internationally ? What was the Nuremberg or Franconian scene like back then ? I can think of Dead, Immured, Andabata or Drecksau for example.
There, too, it was rather quiet in the dark forest. That was probably due to the attitude of many bands to always be a bit distant and unapproachable. I think that was part of it. They saw each other more as competitors, I think. But who knows? Maybe we were just the ugliest kid in the playground that the other kids didn't want to play with? Maybe the other bands were all buddies with each other. And maybe I just don't remember well enough. I don't know anything about band friendships.
There were many bands. Names that come to mind are Caustic, Inhuman (now Soul Demise), Damien (Simon's former band), Euthanasia (now Schistosoma, where Simon still plays), Mortum, Darkness is my Pride, Memorial Day from Kelheim or Dead, which our Marcus co-founded before Call From Subconscious. After three quarters of a year they kicked him out, which was of course good for our band.